What the web is saying about the Harrison twins

Will it be the biggest and baddest recruiter the sport has ever seen or the still relatively young shoe company that A) was founded by a Maryland graduate, B) now outfits the Maryland athletic department and C) spent the past two summers funding a summer team led by the Harrison Twins and run by their father? Will it be Coach One-and-Done or the school connected to a company that employs somebody named Chris Hightower, whom Aaron Harrison Sr. acknowledged to USA Today is the only adult who was allowed to directly contact his sons throughout most of their recruitment? Will it be The Swoosh or We Must Protect this House?

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon made his final plea to the Harrison twins — Andrew and Aaron — on Wednesday with a visit in Texas, hoping they would commit to the Terps on Thursday at 5 p.m. on ESPNU. Turgeon has poured quite a bit of time since his arrival in College Park to try to lure the potentially game-changing brothers. If he loses, it will be to Kentucky, so he can’t really complain. But it will be hard for Maryland to come up with a plan B. The drop-off from the Harrison twins is quite steep. They have the potential to be ACC championship-caliber players — much more than just recruits who will be solid players that keep Maryland in the mix.

Lucas told me last week that the Harrisons were the only high school players he allowed to work out with pros he trains since Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Bryant was in high school outside Philadelphia when Lucas coached the 76ers and LeBron James was in high school in Akron and worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers when Lucas coached there. Lucas was fined substantially by the league for James’ workout.

Lucas also told me Monday that he believed a decision had been reached – he wouldn’t disclose which way the Harrisons were leaning – but the last-minute visit by Turgeon and Ranson might indicate that they were leaning toward the Wildcats to play for John Calipari.

Harrison Sr. emphasized that there is no division within the family on the decision and that the decision belongs to his sons, who are likely to spend just one year in college before jumping to the NBA.

The attention on the Harrisons has intensified in recent weeks. Harrison Sr. said that he got at least 65 calls from media Web sites alone Tuesday.

When you think about it, there are two distinct programs in play here in Kentucky and Maryland. At the end of the day, the culmination of each team’s recruiting pitch is similar. These kids are going to be successful for a brief time in college and both will be NBA players. The pitch to the boys centers around being as successful as possible for the brief time they’re in college. No one’s kidding themselves here.

“If they pick Kentucky it’s a logical move because since [head coach] John [Calipari]‘s been at Kentucky the kids have done well,” Vaccaro told SNY.tv from his California home. “His teams have won a national championship. It’s a logical move.

“The surprise would be if they didn’t pick Kentucky. Kentucky almost has to win [the battle for the twins]– no matter what the gain is — to show that they’re not losing it.”